The IL-21/IL-21R signaling axis regulates CD4+ T-cell responsiveness to IL-12 to promote bacterial-induced colitis

Abstract IL-21/IL-21R signaling dysregulation is linked to multiple chronic intestinal inflammatory disorders in humans and animal models of human diseases. In addition to its critical requirement for the generation and development of germinal center B cells, IL-21/IL-21R signaling can also regulate the effector functions of a variety of T-cell subsets. The antibody-mediated abrogation of IL-21/IL-21R signaling led to the impaired expression of IFN-γ by mucosal CD4+ T cells from human subjects with colitis, suggesting an IL-21/IL-21R–triggered positive feedback loop of the TH1 immune response in the colon. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the regulation of proinflammatory immune responses by the IL-21/IL-21R signaling axis, it remains unclear how this pathway or its downstream molecules contribute to inflammation during bacterial-induced colitis. This study found that IL-21 enhances the surface expression of IL-12Rβ2, but not IL-12Rβ1, in CD4+ T cells, leading to TH1 differentiation and stability. Consistently, these findings also point to an indispensable role of the IL-12Rβ2 signaling axis in promoting proinflammatory immune responses during Citrobacter rodentium–induced colitis. Genetic deletion of the IL-12Rβ2 signaling pathway led to the attenuation of C. rodentium–induced colitis in vivo. The genetic deletion of the IL-12Rβ2 signaling pathway did not alter the host's ability to respond adequately to C. rodentium infection or the ability of Il12rb2−/− mice to express antigen-specific cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-17A). IL-21 is a pleiotropic cytokine exerting a wide range of immunomodulatory functions in multiple tissues, and its direct targeting may result in undesirable off-target consequences. These findings highlight the possibility for targeted manipulations of signaling cascades downstream of main regulators of proinflammatory responses to control invading pathogens while preserving the integrity of host immune responses. A better understanding of the novel mechanisms by which IL-21/IL-21R signaling regulates bacterial-induced colitis will provide insights into the development of new therapeutic and preventive strategies to harness IL-21/IL-21R signaling or its downstream molecules to treat infectious colitis.